I-485 Becomes the First U.S. Highway to Deploy V2X Technology for Both Tolling and Safety
CHARLOTTE, NC – STV and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) have completed the first connected vehicle (V2X) tolling pilot in the United States, establishing a framework for full deployment along the I-485 Express Lanes later this year. The project advances how agencies manage safety, operations and customer experience by integrating real-time vehicle connectivity into roadway systems.
Serving as project manager and technical advisor, STV led end-to-end testing with Indra Group USA to bring the technology from concept to operational readiness. The pilot is the first in the U.S. to combine V2X tolling with 3D LiDAR safety analytics, enabling a single platform to support tolling functions and detect hazards such as stalled vehicles, wrong-way drivers and pedestrians in low-visibility conditions.
“Real-time connectivity fundamentally changes how agencies manage safety and mobility,” said Heather Wills, national tolling director at STV. “This pilot demonstrates how corridor-scale V2X can move from theory to operations, giving transportation leaders a practical path to deployment.”
This technology lays the foundation for future features such as integrated payments and traveler information messaging. Unlike legacy sensors, the system has been tested to perform reliably in heavy rain and low-visibility conditions.
STV provides comprehensive planning, design and construction management services for tolling infrastructure on highways and roadways, delivering innovative solutions that advance mobility and safety across the country. The firm’s work spans express lane programs, all-electronic tolling deployments and advanced traffic management strategies that reduce congestion and enhance roadway safety, spanning the Henry Hudson Bridge rehabilitation in New York, to the tri-state tollway open road tolling plaza in Chicago and U.S. 290 toll road in Austin as well as the 22-mile U.S. 101 express lanes corridor in San Mateo County.
The firm has also supported transformative projects for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, including the emergency repair of critical infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene along U.S. 74A, NC-9 and U.S. 64; and the new “turbine” interchange at I-85/I-485 in Charlotte, which was recognized as one of the top design-build projects by the Design-Build Institute of America and the American Council of Engineering Companies North Carolina Chapter.
